Amid the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and social distancing requirements, smartphone use has increased.
According to Ofcom, a communications regulator, average mobile phone use surged during the early weeks,
of the pandemic in the U.K, with call times increasing from three minutes and 40 seconds before the lockdown,
to five minutes and 26 seconds after the lockdown,Increased phone time does not necessarily indicate smartphone,
addiction caused by the COVID-19 pandemic; however, related trends, such as the growing number of online gambling,
and gaming users, directly correlate to increased smartphone use, Online gaming and gambling addictions are growing
amid the pandemic, Factors in the rise include feelings of isolation and reduced financial stability due to the economic downturn.
Smartphone addiction is not new, In its 2019 mobile fact sheet,
Pew Research Center reports that 81% of Americans owned a smartphone,
? up from 35% in 2011.
At the time, Americans spent a lot of time on their smartphones, too, checking it 96 times daily (or roughly
once every 10 minutes),
According to a report from tech device insurance and support firm Asurion, In fact, ?nomophobia,? a term that
describes the fear of being without a smartphone, was the People?s Word of 2018 according to the online Cambridge Dictionary.
The following usage and smartphone addiction statistics provide additional insights about the growing reliance on digital devices (both before and
during the pandemic).
A drastic spike in usage occurred in the first 90 days of the COVID-19 pandemic response, Verizon reported over 519 billion text messages and over
10 trillion megabytes of data, equivalent to 10.3 trillion Instagram photos,
Indian teens and parents think that too much screen time and device usage is a problem, The Pew Research Center reports that nearly 55% of U.S.
teens admit they?re addicted to their smartphones, and two-thirds of parents are worried,
A Common Sense Media report on media use by teens and tweens says that teens spend more than seven hours on their phones each day, while tweens
average almost five hours,
Americans love their phones, with 75% saying they are addicted to them and over 65% admitting they sleep with their phones, according to Reviews.org.
An unhealthy correlation exists between digital screens and sleep for teens; about one-third sleep with their devices, according to Common Sense Media,
Deloitte reports that more than 90% of people use smartphones daily, and 17% of 18- to 24-year-old adults check their smartphones about 200 times a day,
equal to every 7.2 minutes.
Smartphone Effects on the Brain
Experts suggest that smartphone addiction can impact brains negatively. Smartphone overuse can create unhealthy dependencies that can trigger
psychological issues. Examples of smartphone effects on the brain include:-
Fear of missing out (FOMO).Research published in Cogent Psychology shows that smartphone users? anxiety can be reinforced by,
Their fear of missing out, FOMO describes a state of mind in which smartphone users get anxious with uncertainty. For example,
Not knowing what their friends are doing may leave them feeling outside of the group, As a result, they may feel less important,
Among their group of friends, In response, they feel they must regularly check their phones to stay up to date on current news,
Attachment, The Cogent Psychology study also discusses attachment as an effect of smartphone addiction on the brain. Attachment
Describes an emotional bond. In psychology, attachment theory describes the connection between human beings, such as between a
Newborn and a mother, and the separation experience, which can create anxiety and distress in children, Similarly, smartphone
Users? attachment refers to the anxiety and stress they feel when they are separated from their phones,
Sleep patterns, Smartphone addiction can also affect sleep patterns, A study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry investigated.
how smartphone addiction lowered the sleep quality of 1,164 university students. It found the sleep disturbance was prevalent
among nearly 16% of the students,
Other psychological impacts of smartphone addiction include depression, anxiety and behavioral and compulsive disorders, For
example, social media apps may lead users to compare themselves with others, increasing their feelings of depression, Additional
psychological impacts of smartphone addiction on people?s lives include loss of focus and negative personality traits such as
self-absorption.
Research also points to physical changes in the brain due to smartphone overuse,
In a recent study published in Addictive Behaviors,
researchers analyzed MRI images of a small group of 18- to 30-year-olds who met the criteria for smartphone addiction,
The MRI data
revealed ?lower gray matter volume in insula and temporal cortex,? a measure of brain activity indicative of physical changes in the
brain and associated with substance abuse addictions.
U.S. adolescents who spend over three hours a day on social media are potentially at higher risk for mental health problems, including
internalizing problems, according to a JAMA Psychiatry study,
Excessive smartphone and social media use can raise ?mental distress, self-injurious behavior and suicidality among youth?; the effect
is higher among girls, according to research published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal,
Smartphone addicted individuals often experience increased loneliness. This can have serious mental and physical health implications,
such as low sleep quality and reduced immune system function,
Once smartphone users fall into a pattern of frequently monitoring negative news, their mood can worsen and make them more anxious.
This type of activity is also known as ?doomscrolling.?
Increased parental smartphone use during the COVID-19 pandemic may be impacting children?s development.
Resources: Mental Health Impact of Smartphone Addiction
The following are useful links to resources, including studies, which offer insights, guidance and other information on smartphone effects on brains.
Hackensack Meridian Health, ?Has COVID-19 Made You Addicted to Your Phone?? ? Digital dependency, which describes reliance on smartphones and
social media, can lead to mental health issues,
Johns Hopkins All Children?s Hospital, ?Addiction to Electronic Devices? ? This resource offers descriptions and signs of cellphone addiction,
including how it impacts relationships,
Tech Times, ?MRIs Show How Much Damage to Your Brain a Smartphone Addiction Can Inflict? ? Evidence is growing that smartphone addiction can
physically affect your brain, including changing its shape and size.
Recognize the triggers that compel you to use a smartphone.
The first step is recognizing the problem. For example,
a smartphone may distract you from mood swings caused by depression,
stress or anxiety. But reaching for a smartphone
may make these mental health issues worse.
Try healthier alternatives including relaxation and stress management techniques.
Understand how in-person interactions differ from online interactions.
Social anxiety and avoidance is common in people with
smartphone addictions. Taking the time to reconnect with others can help you to alleviate feelings of isolation.
Develop coping skills. Limiting phone usage can be frustrating. But the more a person overcomes the difficulties, the more
resilient they become. Relational connection, such as a good talk with a friend, can go a long way in helping you feel calm,
getting others to understand you better and increasing your resilience.
Modify smartphone use. Putting your phone away may seem like a simple step. Still, for individuals with smartphone addiction.
withdrawing from their smartphones can be tough. Try turning off notifications, setting time limits and using social media limiting apps.
Smartphones are designed to keep users glued to their screens.
and push notifications are one technique used to do this.
A push notification is when a message is sent from a server to a device without the user initiating the request.
These notifications arrive with sounds, alerts and images that attract smartphone users? attention, inviting them to
engage with something. Algorithms that predict user behavior and preferences and user-friendly interfaces also make it
easy for people to scroll through content.
Not everyone becomes addicted, but for those who are exhibiting smartphone addiction signs, the following tips and strategies
on how to break smartphone addiction may help.